A Great War Romance
by The Actress Alchemist
Summary: The War to end all Wars comes to England. When William's brother Arthur and Emma's old servant friend, John join the War a lot of mixed feelings come into play. Will these two men find romance on the battlefield? But more importantly will they live?


**A Great War Romance**

Chapter One: Turmoil in Print _

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__Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife think of this… killing. But I should have known. The tention between us and Germany was strong, with the arms race and all. I guess no one really knows why we went to war. I feel like that all of the countries in the Great War had young men just like me, niave men out of college thinking we could make a difference in the world and their country.They just ended up making a difference in cemertary graves and leaving holes in loved ones hearts. Though the War taught me things I pretended to understand when I was younger. The memories of my brother's on off engament with Miss Campbell and affairs with his now wife puzzled me. Shaming the Jounes name with this common maid I thought I never could forgive him. I had only understand love from the books of philoshpers. I always pushed it aside, seeing that these men where in great pain from it. It made we quiver as I saw what it did to my brother. In the end he made the Jounes name a joke my marring that maid. Now I understand my William's and Emma's relationship a whole lot better. I guess the War has tormented, yet has made me smarter than any book.I thought that's what I wanted, to be one of the most intellgecual men. Now I wish I never took a bite from that apple. _

_-Aurther Jounes_

_

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__socialist in Berlin. He would laugh. It always ended with his getting punch in the shoulder. I wish I could say that I punched him so hard in the shoulder that he couldn't polish the Molder's shoes for a week. That was not the case. I came from a simple background. My mother was as poor as a rat and our father had died before I was born. Thomas knew my father better than me and according to our mother acted just like him. I try to remember my mother selling flowers on the sides of the dirty streets in Germany. I try to imagine what beloved old mum, would think of those streets being covered in blood. I wonder if she questioned me fighting on the British side. But I was five when my mother pleaded with Mrs. Molder to take Thomas and me in. Thomas was seven when we became servants to the family. At first I was scared but I had my brother and then Hans. Hans taught me the ropes in a solemn, quite way. He was like a father I never had. Soon after that we moved to Hayworth. My life changed when I went to London. Something about it… was it the air of industry? Was it the people, especially the girls? Who knows? I studied the people, there posture, they're clothing, and how they talked hoping to be them. The steamboats, the Crystal palace, and the gardens amazed me. I recall dragging my brother all over town. The Molder's always liked us. There was Emma, Hans, my brother, and me. We were dubbed the favorites. Mrs. Molder took a liking to Emma, Mr. Molder liked Hans, and the kids liked my brother and my self. Erich would beg me to read him stories from The Brothers Grim. That would all end when the German's bombed on the outskirts of London. I was torn. _

_My old home had bombed London my new home._

_I decided that memories should be erased for my new goal. If I joined the army in that war I could earn the ranks and become a General or better. Using my new status I could become a man invited to the parties instead of serving them. _

_Look what I am now… a mess. _

_The day I signed up and told the Molders/ the rest of the crew was the worst day of my life._

_-John_

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" Get ya' paper here! England Goes To War With Germany! Join the War effort! The Great War comes to England!" 

Called out a little boy. Face smudged with dirt as he handed out papers to every one. Whispers tumbled over the crowd of people as they saw the newspaper. John blue eyes looked the crowd. He noticed as one women grabbed on to her boyfriend or husband.

" Please, not sign up. I love you. Do you not care how I feel?"

The women said as tears fell down her face. The tall man gently grabbed her soft face and wiped the tears falling off her cheeks.

"But do you not care for London? Do you not care for England or the life we live now?"

The man said to his wife in a calm cool voice. The women bite her lip as she buried her head into his chest. He gently placed his arms around her whispering to her that everything would be ok.

Out of nowhere Thomas smacked John on the back of his head. Rubbing his head John turned around to see his older brother.

"What the hell was that for?"

He said to him staring him down as he ran his finger threw his blonde hair.

" Don't stare… Plus we should the paper so I can get it to the Molder's."

He said in the stern voice. Hans must have rubbed off on Thomas a bit unlike John whom was still playful even being in his Mid 20's.

" I wasn't staring… Plus you just want to get home to Polly. When are you finally going to marry her?"

John asked so he would change the subject, guilting his brother instead of him. To be honest, John had been staring. Hoping to be the man with a woman's arms around him, telling never to leave her. Hoping to join the war and fight valiantly. Since he heard the news his mind was floating with thoughts. His old homeland had tried to taunt Britain. It made his blood boil with rage and hope. In the gut of his stomach he was thinking how he could join the arm and finally be the person he wanted to be. Instead of being the servant, to have servants. Dreams where he wore top hats, and had royalty begging his presence.

"John, That's my decision to make. I guess I can't hide it any longer that I love Polly. I'm just scared…"

Thomas said to him with a quiver in his voice. His identical blue eyes stared at John's. He knew that his brother was thinking something other than his romance. He knew his brother didn't care. He was fixated on the newspaper, he was fixated on war.

" John… don't tell me that you're thinking about…"

Thomas cut himself off. John looked up at him eyes glazed over as he kindly paid the paperboy for the newspaper with 'WAR!' in big letters. His hands held on to the newspaper as if it was his life. He saw it as some sort of key that was going to transform him into his dreams.

"Joining the war. It says here that this will be the war to end all wars. Do you know how great that will be? To be apart of that?"

John said ecstatic. The more and more he thought about it the more and more he was planning out his new life. Little did he plan on was what actually would happen in the war. Then again he was just like the other young men whom decided to join the war. He wasn't thinking what would happen to him if he died. No. No young man would think of that… only that man's sweetheart would.

" You're crazy John."

Thomas said with a lump in his throat. He knew nothing was going to stop him from signing up. Thomas lossned his tied as he felt his neck incredibly hot. Trying to keep composure she stared as his brother. His icy cold trying to tell him to stop-this-nonsense right-now.

" You're crazy for falling in love with Polly."

John said giving his classic I-got-you-there grin.

_

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_

_I look at that day and I think how much my brother was right. _

_John_

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"Thank you Stevens." 

Arthur said as he took the newspaper from the sternly dressed older man. Steven gave a simple bow before leaving the room in somewhat in a hurry. Arthur squeezed the lemon into his tea and he mixed the cream into it. Stirring the tea Arthur thought about his schedule. Due to his shaming the family name he had to take over as the new head male of the family. The pressure for his family to live in a life where no body whispered when they enter a room was almost at the point of unbearable. It was such a shame he was the middle child. William got everything, and foolish threw it out the window. He got the family job, something Arthur secretly wanted. Though he wasn't going to bump him off like some other people did with arsenic. The again recently they found a way to detect arsenic. No, Arthur never planned a murder, not even when he was extremely angry with his brother. But Arthur all was had this incredible mind that could remember everything in the newspaper. Arthur would never resort to those means. He wanted to use his education to help people and that's why he envied his brother. Having the family business he could help people in that industry.

He always told his brother that he never envied him. That the business was what he was raised to do (which was true). This was the very fact that made Arthur study and become prefect at Eton when he was a boy. He had to work to get a job. Of course Arthur studied law. Sadly he had a bit of trouble finding a job. Yes, he was one of the best in the class but it seemed all the cases he got where petty cases. Arthur wondered if his brother's romance would become a case. What side would he be on?

Arthur leaned again the fine leather chair. Letting out a deep sigh he took out a cigar from the golden case he had. It was a gift that he received from his friends at Eton on his 21 birthdays. Lighting it, he puffed away looking at the translucent smoke. He thought about the appointment he had with the Molders. Supposedly Colin had to announce something with the whole Jones family and the Molder family there. Colin lately had been on cloud nine, and it would be no surprise that he and Isle would be getting married. It would be a good match.

Colin was an odd character. Arthur remembered how he used to cry at every thing especially the rows that William and Father would get into. Now since he was older he still was sensitive, but would always seem to put on a happy smile. It seemed that Isle loved this feature about him since she was more carefree than most girls. Both of them seem to take great enjoyment in each other company. Due to this Colin was seen smiling all the time.

Arthur took a refreshing thought in that it wasn't a party. Arthur had grown to hate balls with women always looking at him. He was still single and father was pressuring him to get married. Once again Arthur hated the thought of becoming a husband. He was just like any other man, commitment scary him.

Rubbing his temples and inhaling his cigar he finally decided to look at the paper. Recently there had been a lot of controversy about Germany and the arms race and balance of power in Europe. There were many other factors that made this time period a time of interesting politics. Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne and his wife are assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist in Sarejevo especially fascinated him. Arthur found it ridiculous how Kaiser William II reacted to this assignation. Calling war on Russian… how absurd.

Teacup in hand, Arthur read the headlines of the paper. Eyes darted across the page to see the old English text read 'War'. His hand loosed as the teacup fell on the ground shattering.

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**Author Notes:**

**Yeah! I finally decided to do a VRE fan fiction. I decided to get off my Full metal alchemist fan fiction and decided to do something less complex as that one. I decided to get off my World War II research and look a little bit into World War I. Actually my sister is the one who knows more about The Great war (as it was called back in the day) than me. Anyways I hope I was historically accurate (I did some research on the War). I tried to tie in how the war happened. World war I doesn't have a key starting point and how it really happened. Yes, the assignation of the future king was the main thing. But how could an assignation lead to a full out world war? Anyways I decided to put my two favorite characters into the story instead of Emma and William. Arthur and John. I feel like the minor characters need some loving too. I absolutely hate the part where John and his brother get the newspaper. I don't think I did it justice. Also I had a bit of an age problem too. Since they never give the ages of the characters I had to guess. Also I had to guess the year. The only clue to what year it was was on Kelly Stower's gravestone. SO I'm guessing Emma and William are around 30's to mid 30's. Grace in her 30's, Arthur in his mid 20's, Vivi in her early 20's and Colin around 18 .Any ways please leave some reviews. If anything is wrong with the story please tell me, I'll be sure take any advice.

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**Next Chapter: The Bookstore's daughter turned Nurse **

_Cecilia Smith never thought she would see what she saw on the battlefield. Reflecting on the day she decided to be a nurse and the first time she meet a solider. Who knows, little Cecilia might actually have more of a chance finding a man as an angel on the battlefield._


End file.
